Milton Friedman in America by Heart, by Sarah Palin

On Free Trade: Chain of producers making a pencil need not like each other

Milton Friedman provided a powerful answer to the argument that government is necessary to get people to cooperate together for the greater good. In Free to Choose, an essay about the making of a pencil illustrates the power of human economic freedom--and the damage government can do when it replaces the decision making of free individuals:

"None of the thousands of persons involved in producing the pencil performed his task because he wanted a pencil. Some among them never saw a pencil and police enforced the orders that were not given. These people live in many lands, speak different languages, practice different religions, may even hate one another--yet none of these differences prevented them from cooperating to produce a pencil."

Source: America by Heart, by Sarah Palin, p. 87-88 Nov 23, 2010

The above quotations are from America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag by Sarah Palin. Click here for other excerpts from America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag by Sarah Palin. Click here for other excerpts by Milton Friedman. Click here for a profile of Milton Friedman.
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Page last updated: Dec 12, 2018